In general, there frequently occurs the case where a construction machine such as an excavator performs a work on a slope or is moved to the slope. In addition, in the case where an operator transports the excavator to a remote place, the excavator is often loaded on a transport truck.
As such, when an operator performs a work on a slope using an excavator or loads the excavator on the transport truck, his or her body leans toward the front of the machine due to a steep slope of the operator's seat. In this case, a separate foothold is required to be located at a position higher than that of a foothold mounted on a bottom surface of the operator's cab so that the operator can balance his or her body.
As shown in FIG. 1, a footrest for an operator's cab of a construction machine in accordance with an example of the prior art includes a pair of front right and left pole members 2 mounted in the cab, and a foothold support 3 formed in a bar shape and integrally fixed at both ends thereof to the front right and left pole members 2 by welding so that the operator can put his or her feet on the foothold support 3 during the operation or transport of the construction machine.
The conventional footrest entails drawbacks in that the foothold support 3 is maintained in a state of being always securely fixed to an inner front part of the operator's cab, thereby degrading an external appearance of the footrest, in that even in the case where the foothold support 3 is not used, it is still maintained in a fixed state, leading to an interference of the operator's front field of vision during the operation of the construction machine, and in that the movement of the operator's feet is restricted at ordinary times, which gives an convenience to the operator.
As shown in FIG. 2, a footrest for an operator's cab of a construction machine in accordance with another example of the prior art includes a pair of opposed foothold supports 5 disposed at the left and right sides of a pair of travel pedals 6 so that the operator can put his or her feet on the foothold supports 5 during the operation or transport of the construction machine, and a pair of fixing members 7 formed in a bar shape, the fixing members being securely fixed at one ends thereof to a bottom surface of the operator's cab and mounted at the other ends thereof to the foothold supports 5.
By virtue of this configuration, since the foothold supports 5 are located at a position higher than that of a pair of footholds 8 mounted to the bottom surface of the operator's cab 1, the operator can selectively put his or her feet on the foothold supports 5 or the footholds 8 to balance his or her body depending on a gradient of the construction machine. On the other hand, the conventional footrest involves problems in that the foothold supports 5 are also always positioned in front of the operator's seat, thereby degrading an external appearance of the footrest, in that the operator's front field of vision is interfered with during the operation of the construction machine, and in that in the case where the foothold supports 5 are not used, the movement of the operator's feet is restricted, which gives an convenience to the operator.